California officials are calling for a federal investigation after video footage surfaced showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents forcibly detaining a U.S. citizen on a Long Beach street, leaving him hospitalized with severe injuries.
The incident occurred Saturday in North Long Beach when federal agents confronted Ricardo Gonzalez, a former municipal employee and father who was riding an electric bicycle in his neighborhood. Bystander footage shared online by advocacy groups showed Gonzalez face down against a curb, screaming in pain as agents pinned him to the asphalt and handcuffed him.
“Help me!” Gonzalez could be heard yelling in video reviewed by ABC News and the Los Angeles Times, repeatedly telling bystanders and officers that his arm had been broken during the struggle.
City Leaders Demand Independent Inquiry
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson announced Monday that he submitted a formal complaint to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, demanding an independent inquiry and calling for the agents involved to be removed from enforcement duty pending the outcome.
“A federal badge is not a license to brutalize people or disregard their constitutional rights,” Richardson stated, emphasizing that Gonzalez had called 911 himself to request de-escalation support after noticing unmarked vehicles gathering in the area.
Representative Robert Garcia, a California Democrat who serves as the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, labeled the encounter a “brutal attack.” During a Monday press conference, Garcia said there was no public evidence suggesting Gonzalez had engaged in any unlawful behavior prior to the confrontation.
Gonzalez’s daughter, Leslie Gonzalez, stated on an online fundraising page that her father was struck by an enforcement vehicle, shocked twice with a Taser, and pinned to the street before being transported for emergency care, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Police Intervention and Conflicting Accounts
The Long Beach Police Department said its officers arrived at the scene following requests from both Gonzalez and federal authorities, who claimed vehicle vandalism was occurring and that an individual needed medical assistance. Upon arrival, local officers discovered Gonzalez bleeding and in federal custody amid an agitated crowd of neighborhood residents.
Local authorities stepped in to transport Gonzalez to a nearby fire department station, where officers unlocked his handcuffs so paramedics could provide treatment and transport him to a local hospital. Police officials noted that city officers were not participating in immigration enforcement and advised the federal agents to contact city dispatch if they wished to file a vandalism complaint.
The incident also drew a response from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who defended law enforcement on social media by writing that such encounters “would be less common if the targets complied with lawful commands.” However, a Department of Justice spokesperson later confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that there was no active criminal case involving Gonzalez, directing further inquiries to DHS.
DHS has not responded to requests for comment from news organizations regarding the operation or the specific justification for detaining Gonzalez. The full extent of Gonzalez’s injuries and whether federal authorities will launch an internal review into the agents’ conduct remain unclear.
